In vehicles which have track drive systems, it is often desirable to provide a suspension system which absorbs some of the force of impacts to the track drive system. However, it can be a challenge to incorporate a suspension system into a track drive system without adversely affecting the operation of the track drive system.
In order for a track drive system to function properly, a certain level of tension must generally be maintained in the track to prevent the track from slipping relative to the mechanism which drives the track. In some prior art track drive systems which incorporate suspension systems, compression of the suspension system can reduce tension in the track, which can result in slipping and a temporary loss of forward acceleration of the vehicle driven by the track drive system.
There exists a need for track drive systems which incorporate suspension systems that maintain tension in the track when the suspension system is compressed.